When it rains it pours
by hubub
Summary: A little rain never hurt anyone... did it?


Another brilliant day in Trenton. I, Stephanie Plum was on a roll too bad it wasn't a good one. After waking this morning, the customary shower, the un-healthy breakfast of last nights leftover Pino's and climbing in my POS car everything went downhill. My car broke down on the way in to work leaving me to walk the last six blocks. When I arrived and Lula was late so Connie roped me into helping her get as much filing as she could done before Lula got there so that the filing still got done and Lula wasn't offended. This took an hour and a half since Lula called in saying Tank was taking her away for the day so I had no ride and no partner. I phoned my parents and dad picked me up then left me to command Big Blue around for the rest of the day.

After that I fell four times, was punched in the stomach and bitten on my calf by just one of my skips, apparently since I didn't go down after the punch Louis Fieldman decided I needed bitten. I got the bite looked at quickly by Bobby who was dropping off one of Ranger's skips at the Police Station who said it looked okay and gave me a hug.

I didn't catch any more FTA's after that, not for lack of trying, I got pushed down a flight of stairs leaving me black and blue, I was chased by a group of horny dogs (again) and finally just dodged scaling water being dumped on me and a shotgun hole in my head.

After that I decided to call it a day, when I got within ten blocks of relaxation and a hot bubble bath another disaster struck. Wonder of all wonders Big Blue actually broke down, yes the beast of Trenton the only car that won't break when I want it to broke down now. I got out and kicked the tyre for good measure just as it started to pour, big splodge's that had me drenched within five minutes.

It was a warm day since it was the middle of summer and since my jeans, tennis shoes and small knit top were already soaked I climbed on the still warm hood of Big Blue and laid down face to the sky.

I felt Ranger's presence before I heard the slamming of his car door and the calm I was working on quickly melted away placed by only hurt and anger. How dare he come to me now, when I was already at such a low point and kick me while I'm down. Two nights ago I had cornered Ranger and he basically told me he didn't do relationships and that I should go back to Morelli(again).

"What do you want?" I asked a little of the hurt seeping into my voice.

"What are you doing?" Came a deep carefully blank voice from my left.

"What does it matter to you? You made it quite obvious you didn't care." I replied and opened my eyes to look into the sky and blinked furiously to get rid of the tears I doubted he could see through the rain.

"Babe." He sighed and I took a deep breath determined not to shout at him and lose the very little control I held. I sat up and swung my legs round the side of the hood and faced Ranger.

He was dressed in his usual black on black street outfit but soaked to the core, some of his hair had fallen from his pony tail but he still looked incredible, that thought broke my heart even more.

"Twice Ranger, Twice you've shown you don't want to bother with me so why are you here? To twist the knife? Show me what I'm missing? Well don't bother I know and I'm in enough pain as it is." I told him, it took everything not to shout but the tears were flowing freely down my face where as his was a blank mask.

"We wouldn't work." He told me taking my face in his hands and wiping the tears away with his thumbs. "We would end up hurting each other."

"You've already hurt me." I whispered and his whole body tensed as his hands fell from my face and swung at his sides.

"I didn't mean to." He sighed again before taking another step forward till we were a breath away I was still sitting on the hood of the quickly cooling car while he stood tall in front of me. "We can't be together."

"Why not I know you care, I know you love me, so why can't we be together? You have a fucked up sense of what's right Ranger. If you didn't love me, didn't care you wouldn't be here, you wouldn't spare me a thought but here you are." His hands came up and one went to my soaked mass of messy, matted curls at the back of my head while the other came and rested on my thigh searing my skin with his touch. I pulled a hand up and placed it cupping his jaw my thumb brushing back and forth over his chin.

"Because one day I won't come home and I can't put you through that. I work all the time and I have enemies that wouldn't hesitate to use you against me. I can't take that risk and I won't let you." He told me pulling me to him and burying his face into the crook of my neck as I shook with tears.

"I get in enough trouble myself; with you I would at least have help." I told him wrapping my arms around him to keep him close.

"You'll always have my help." He whispered his voice soft but hoarse.

"I need you. It would hurt more if you were to never come back and we had wasted so much time running." I told him and he sighed before lifting his head and standing back. I took a deep breath to try and get myself under control as we locked eyes and he held his hand out to me.

"I can't go with you. It hurts too much, I'll find a lift somewhere else." I told him and almost flinched when I saw the hurt cross his face before the blank mask slammed into place. I closed my eyes setting my head in my hands until I heard the sound of his engine disappearing down the road.

I lay back down on the hood of the car as the sky darkened and the rain got heavier, not moving I let the tears flow freely. Seconds after Ranger left I heard the clearing of a throat beside me and almost jumped out of my skin. Turning my head I saw Joe Morelli standing watching me with an unreadable expression on his face.

I looked back and saw his car parked at least a block away and noticed he was drenched almost as much as I was.

"Hey Cupcake are you having a bad day?" My throat was so raw from tears and the lump that had formed so I just nodded and lay back down on the hood of my car letting the rain continue to pound all over my body.

I heard the creak of the tyres as Morelli hoisted himself onto the hood and lay next to me. "I heard you and Manoso talking." He said and I turned sharply but he was still watching the sky so I turned back. "We never would have lasted, I'm completely Burg and you're Wonder Woman, an apron wouldn't fit over the super suit." He joked and I smiled sadly agreeing. "Too bad Ranger has his head firmly inserted up his own ass." He added and I let lose a quiet noise that was half sob half laugh.

"You thinking about heading home soon?" He asked gently.

"I broke down."

"Ah was wondering what started this and what Ranger was asking about." He chuckled and I couldn't help but join in.

"For what it's worth, Ranger is the only one that can't see you're already in a relationship, I was just too stubborn to let go." I smiled a slow sad smile and sighed. "You love him don't you?" I jumped slightly and he grinned taking hold of my hand.

"Worse, I'm in love with him. I'm don't want to be a bitch but you know I always thought people were trying to out do each other when they were saying all this crap about love but hell I feel it all with him and he won't even give us a chance."

"Let's get you home, because it seems Batman will be leaving the duties to me if you get ill with all this rain and it's getting colder. We'll get Al out to pick up Big Blue in the morning." I nodded and let Joe escort me down the block to his car. Just before I climbed in I felt the tell tale tingle run down my spine and turned. Ranger parked just down from Joe and cut his lights climbing from the car.

He shook his head at my foot in Joe's car as I stood there dumbstruck. Within five strides he was by my side pulling me from Joe's car and into his arms.

"You're not his." He told me forcefully as he practically crushed my ribs with the pressure of his hug.

"You made it clear I'm not yours." I told him my words belied by the fact I was hugging him back with as much force.

"I was wrong; I can't watch you go back to him. I want to be yours. I'm sorry." He told me his deep voice filled with as much emotion as I had ever heard it.

I pulled back and we locked eyes, mine still filled with tears and his showing me the love I knew he felt but that he had been hiding for so long.

"Forever? Not a one night stand?" I asked my mentally crossing my fingers.

"Forever, if there was a Bat cave in Trenton I would take you right now." I smiled at his attempted joke hugging him closely again.

His lips captured mine and my breath caught. It was like a first kiss, starting soft and gentle but within seconds he had me pressed against Joe's car and was kissing the living daylights out of me.

After the first moan Joe had obviously had enough and beeped his horn causing us both to jump and Joe's laughter to bubble from the car.

"Jesus, the great Manoso unaware." I slammed the passenger door and dragged Ranger to his truck and jumped in the passenger side.

Joe pulled away and Ranger gave me a funny look. "I thought he would hit me or yell or something." He said confused and I laughed.

"Joe and I decided to just be friends. He was only taking me home because Big Blue broke down." I told him giggling as he smiled the whole 1000 watts and my panties melted, Ranger lent forward and kissed me quickly before putting the car in gear and pulling away form the curb.

"I think we need you out of those wet clothes." He told me never removing his eyes from the road but letting his hand wander up my thigh. Yum!


End file.
